Tubular projectile.



T. A. BOWERS.

TUBULAR PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I4. 19!].

1,292,388. Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

T. A. BOWERS. TUBULAR PROJECTILE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1917.

1,292,388. Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2- gnvc'nfoz affozncq UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

THOMAS A. BOWEBS, OF AUBURN, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB TO BOWEBS ARMS ANDMUNITIONS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION 01 MAS SA-CHUSETTS.

Application filed April 14, 1917. Serial No. 181,991.

lutely gas-tight closure is madebetween the outer surface of theprojectile and the bore of the barrel, whereby any leakage of thegases'around the projectile isprevented and the full efficiency of theexpanding gases is obtained, and the projectile given a steady andaccurate flight.

It has been well-known for years to those skilled in this art, thattubular projectiles theoretically have advantages over the solidprojectile, in. that it is a lighter body and is thereby forced withgreater velocity through the gun with the 'same amount of pressure, andthat there is a material rev duction in" the air pressure or resistanceto theflprojectile after it leaves the bore of the in. However, thereare certain difficulties arising in the use of tubular projectiles, andcertain defects in them, as.

heretofore known, that have not been overcome, and have proved soserious that tubular projectiles have not been adopted and e not comeinto use.

Tubular rojectiles, as heretofore made would not tain the theoreticaladvantages heretofore stated, viz., they would not obtain thetheoretical increase of velocity within the barrel of the gun; theywould not fly steady and straight when they left the barrel of the gun,but .to the contrary, would have a tendency to wabble, and, in someinstances, ke hole, thereby failing to obtain the theofetlcal reductionof air resistance in their flight.

I have discovered'that the failure and defects of the tubularprojectiles as heretofore constructed and known are due to the fact thatin forcing the projectile through the rifled bore of the gun, the bandsofthe rifling compress the projectile, thus making it of smallerdiameter than the greatest "diame- Specification of Letters Patent.

TUBULAR PBOJ'ECTILF,

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

ter of the bore, thereby causing an irregular cutt ng of the rifling onthe surface 0 the projectile, which defeats the making of a gas-tightfit between the projectile and the r fled bore of the gun, and theirregular r1fl1ng throws the projectile from the muzile of the gun insucha way as tothrow it out of a straight line and causes it to wabble.

I have oyercome these defects of the tubular pro ect1le, and haveobtained all of its theoretical advantages, by providing'a tubu lar proectile with an incompressible interior or core-portion, whereby therelatively soft rotatmg surface or band is caused to completely fill therifling of the bore of the gun and the pro ectile prevented from beingcompressed, thereby maintaining its' original diameter and fitting thebore of the gun "as deslgned, thus causing the projectile to leave themuzzle of the gun in an absolutely straight line, and preventingabsolutely any wabblmg of'the projectile, and obtaining a remarkable andunusual accuracy in :its flight.

This improved projectile with the same pressure behind it, as theordinary solid proj ectile, in actual practice, the muzzlewelocity isincreased and a decreased air resistance resulting in a much more flattrajectory than with a solid projectile.

My, improvement may be carried. out by variations in detail ofconstruction, but in order to embody my improvement, the tubu-' larprojectile must have an incompressible inner portion or body, with therelatively soft outer coating or surface of a thiclmess at least equalto the depth of the rifling of the gun, and these" features overcomeallof the defects of the tubulanprojectile as heretofore known.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of acartridge, with my tubular projecetilein longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the projectileshown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5.. show modified forms of 'myinvention, and illustratesome of the variations which may bemadewithout departing from the spiritandscope of the in vention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the projectile shown m Fig. 5after it has;

rifling of the gun, and projects from the body .portion 1 a suflicientdistance to be equal to the depth of the grooves of the gun rifling, sothat when the projectile is fired the ring 2 completely fills therifling of the gun and makes a gas-tight fit therewith,

and also causes the projectile to rotate in a v manner well-known, andthe ring 2 may be aptly termed a rotating ring.

. In this preferred form of my improvement, only the rear end of thebody portion 1 is made incompressible, and this may be accomplished inany well-known manner for instance, one way being the tempering of therear end of thebody portion 1 to a glass hardness, which makes thatportion of the body-portion '1, that is surrounded b the rotating ring2, practically incompressi- A gas check 3 in the form of a disk, isplaced at the rear open end of the projectile.

and temporarily connected therewith by a small quantity of soft solder.When the projectile is fired, the soft solder is melted and thegas-check 3 begins to fall from the projectile as soon as it leaves themuzzle of the gun. v

The portion lis made preferably of high carbon steel, and it ismadeincompressible.

by hardening it'to" a glass hardness at its rear end in the preferredform, it absolutely incompressible. j I

I. have found in actual practice that by making that portion of thebodyincompresthus making sible where '"it: is surrounded by the rotating ittakes therifling of the gunand member, I obtains all the theoreticaladvantages and overcomes all the practical defects of tubular proectiles, as heretofore known. By ac tual tests, it has been foundthat'my improved tubular projectile has a substantially flat trajectorypared with a substantially flat trajectory of five hundred yards for asolid projectile:

' "when; fired from an ordinary smallfire-arm,

and'it also found that my improved tubular projectile is extremelyaccurate and steady inits flight.

In Fig. 3, the incompressible center' or, body portmn 5'1s'separate-fromthe outer or tubular jacket 6, of relatively soft metal which is adaptedto take" the rifling of the first impact with i so untilit reaches theform shown in F lgs, 6 and 7., The surrounding jacket 1n the for athousand yards as com portion 5 extends throughout that portion of thejacket which will engage the rifling of the gun and cause thecompressing of the tubular projectile unless it has an absolutelypositive support.

In Fig. 4, I show an incompressible center 7, which has a surroundingjacket 6, like when the jacket is upset by the force of the explosion,it contracts and its bore then is the same size as the bore of theincompressible member 7, as shown in Fig. 5.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 show a mushrooming form of projectile particularlyadapted to game. In this form of projectile the forward end of the bore8 is tapered outward or bell-shaped, as shown at 9.

By reason of this outwardly flared end of the projectile when it strikesan object, its end is flared outward and flared backward .until theturned back forward edge rests upon the outer surface of the projectilewhich so reinforces it, that it cannot roll any further, and it makes aperfect mushroom of the forward end of the projectile Other end isreinforced by reason of its'shapeQ This projectile begins toexpand'upon' its esh and. continues to do mushrooming form is preferablycomposed of malleable-material such, for instance, as

copper, or other material which'ismapable of being rolled outward andbackwithout I .breaking, substantially as shown in Flgs. .6

and 7.

'In order to 'car'ry out improvement, I

it is not necessary that the incompressible I center or 'body' portionbe limited tothe zdne of the rotating. jacket'or ring, for. it can beincompressible throughout its I complete present invention.

' 1. 10 not wish to be-understood as limiting my mvention to any of the.particularffor'ms here shown, since the broad idea of a tubu larprojectile having a surrounding rotatlng ring or jacket and .anincompressible center orsu'pportmg core will embody my v [improvementwhether or not they be of any, gun, and the incompresslble center orcore of the specific form's herein disclosed. These length without.departing from the 2. An improved tubular projectile cornprising a coreor body portion hardened to practical incompressibillty, and asurrounding relatively soft metal of a thickness not less than the depthof the rifling of the gun, whereby the projectile is prevented fromcompressing by the rifle action and a gastight fit accomplished for thepurposes herein set forth.

3. An improved tubular projectile comprising a body portion extendingthroughout the length of the projectile and surrounded with a relativelysoft metal to take the rifling of the gun, the body portion hardened topractical incompressi-bility at that portion thereof sup orting the softmetal where the latter ta es the rifling of the gun.

4. An improved tubular projectile comprising a body portion hardened tobrittleness and thereby practical incompressibility and extendingthroughout the length of the projectile and a relatively soft metalsurrounding the incompresslble body-portion for the purpose described.

5. An improved tubular projectile comprising a' brittle practicallyincompressible body portion extending throughout the length of theprojectile, said body portion having its outer surface completely coatedriflin of the gun.

improved tubular projectile, comprismg a body portion hardened topracsoft metal for taking the tically fincompressibilitty and extendinthroughout the len h o the ro ectile, an a coating complete y surrouning the outer surface of the projectile and of a thiclmess sufiicient tofill the grooves of the rifling of the gun.

7. An improved tubular projectile comprising an incompressible tubularbodyportion extending throughout the length of the projectile, and asurrounding coating of relatively soft material having its engaging surface alloyed with the surface of the body portion andbuilt. up thereon toa thickness sutficient to fill the grooves of the rifling of the barrelof the gun. 8. An improved tubular projectile having an incompressiblecore and a surrounding jacket of relatively soft metal having itsforward end tapered outwardly in bell-like form whereby the force of theimpact with the object rolls the tapered end backward and outward intoan even roll.

9. An improved tubular projectile comprising an incompressible core atits rear portion and provided with a surrounding jacket of a relativelysoft material projecting beyond the incompressible core, the forward endof the jacket tapered outwardly in bell-like form whereby the force ofimpact with an object rolls the tapered end outwardly and backward intoa substantially even roll.

10. An improved tubular projectile comprising an incompressible corehaving a surrounding jacket of malleable material having its forward endprojecting beyond the incompressible core and tapered outwardly inbell-like form, whereby the force of impact with an object rollsthetapered end outward and backward into substantially an even and regularroll.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

THOMAS A. BOWERS.

Witnesses:

JENNIE F. Lmnr, J osnrn MGMANUS.

